Who's the KILLER?
by Late-Sleeper-sama
Summary: The gang are playing the game called ‘who’s the killer’ when one by one, players were dropping dead like flies. Why do Naruto feels that the killing is somewhat related to him. Whatever happens they should find the killer before he kills them all.SasuNaru
1. Prologue

**Who's the Killer**

**By: Late-Sleeper**

**Beta-reader: ****Pay Backs a Bitch**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own a thing…

* * *

**Prologue**

* * *

"Why don't we play 'Who's the Killer' for all time sake, guys?" Naruto asked as he beamed at his friends. It had been a long time since they have been together like this. It is somewhat nostalgic seeing familiar faces once more. Even though they have gone to different careers and specialties, they made it a point to contact each other and keep their friendship burning.

"What the hell are you? A high schooler?" Kiba sneer at the pouting blond. Give it to Naruto to act like a child when he himself is already a well-known novelist. Although Kiba always wonder why he took his grandfather's footstep when he abhors it when they were kids. "But, this is the first time we've been complete! Come on! This is a vacation; let's enjoy it to the fullest."

Kiba snort at that. "That's why your idea sucks. We should go to a night club instead and drink ourselves to death."

Shikamaru who was half listening and half dozing frown at Kiba's suggestion. Night clubbing is not what he calls having a good time. The only thing drinking brings are after effect headaches and lots and lots of puke which he do not want to deal right now. "Naruto's suggestion is better." Shikamaru yawned loudly.

Kiba shot him a menacing glare while he seeks comforting glances on other people in the room. Sasuke on the other side of the room just gave him the I-don't-care-look-but-I'm-on-Naruto's-side. Che! The bastard and his damn blond best friend.

He gave a pleading look on Chouji's way. He knew the fat…err…I mean the pacifist of the group would go with food and drinks anytime. "Kiba, even though I love food I think we should stay here and catch up like old times."

"What?! We could always do that while drinking!"

"Then why don't we just drink here instead." Neji who was getting annoyed with Kiba's whining decided to end the discussion. Hearing the dog breath groan and whine really gave him a headache. Naruto nodded vigorously. "See even the doctor agrees with me!"

Kiba grunt and growls at the same time feeling that the world is against him. Why did he have such lazy comrades he always wonders? He shot a glare at the blond and bare his teeth like that of a dog. "Still the game sucks!"

"Then why don't we give it a spice. Kicking it to a higher notch." Shino who was playing with a roach turn his face to Kiba's direction. Kiba shivers a bit at the intimidating stare he was receiving. Shino always make him feel icky and jumpy for some reason.

Sasuke frown and raise his brow at Shino's suggestion. "What do you suggest?"

"Let's make it more realistic." Shino glance back at his pet roach on his hand as he caresses the said creature. Neji look at the man puzzled, he starting to doubt the whole scheme bit by bit. He could feel something sinister on how the bug-man laid his plan.

"Good. Then why not have the killer tie up his victims and put him or her in a safe hiding place? If the killer gets all the victims then he wins. If the cop busted him first he loses." Naruto eyes bulging with eagerness looks at everyone's eyes with hope. Lee who was suspiciously silent the whole time nodded in agreement. Sasuke smirked and nod. Shikamaru yawned, his way of saying yes. Chouji nodded in agreement. Naruto glance at Gaara, Sai and Neji expectedly and the three could only nod in defeat. Kiba feeling left out growl but gave his consent.

"Then let the game begin!"

Lee scribbled the characters in the game. He prayed that he would get the 'cop' since he is one himself. He loves being a cop like his Gai-sensei.

"Now pick your paper kiddos and no peeking."

Naruto hurriedly grab a paper from the container containing the characters of the game. He frowns upon reading his character.

"So remember. Once you caught the '_killer_' the game is over." Naruto frown at Shino's statement but shrug it anyway since he deems Shino as a weird person anyway.

"Sasuke, what did you've got?" Sasuke turn his face at Naruto and smiles at him ominously making shivers run down Naruto's spine. "I'll tell you but I've got to kill you after."

"Bastard."

"Hey penis-less don't let the killer get you." Sai smirk eerily at the blond earning him a flip from the blond and a menacing death glare from Sasuke. "Come on Naruto let's hide."

"What?"

"The 'Killer' would have hard time getting one of us if we join forces." Sasuke pulled Naruto's hand towards the stairs leading to the second floor of the old abandoned house of the Uchiha's.

Naruto glare slightly at Sasuke. "Then what if you're the Killer?"

"Then I have to tie you up dobe." Sasuke glance at his back to watch the fidgeting blond. Naruto's eyes went huge then subside after a minute or two. "Bastard. I believe in you."

"Your innocence would be the death of you dobe."

"Che! Bastard." Naruto smiles happily and let the raven drag him up stair.

Upon climbing the stair a hand suddenly shot his way up to Naruto's thigh earning a loud shriek from the frighten blond. Naruto look back over his shoulder and was ready to pummel the pervert when he realize the hand belong to a cringing Chouji. "What the hell, Chouji?!"

"Sorry Naruto. I slipped at the second step. I didn't mean to grab onto your thigh." The err…biggest member apologizes and bowed repeatedly as his best friend mutter 'troublesome' again and again.

Unknown to the rest pair of eyes were glaring menacingly at what happen but one pair was above all as this pair unlike the rest promises death.

**:TSUZUKU:**

**LateSleeper:** There are many variation of 'cops and robbers', here in my home town it is called **"Who's the killer?".**

The game start by picking your hidden character is written in a small sheet of paper (ex: Banker, Chef, doctor,) then of course the main characters are the cop, judge and robber. When all have, their character selected the robber would wink at someone and that person would say "I'm dead" until everyone drops dead then the robber wins but if he winks at the judge, the judge would say "the judge is dead" then automatically the robber wins. But if he winks at the cop then he's busted. The cop in turn would try to catch the robber and would point at the one he suspect and says "You're under arrest." If he's wrong then he's busted. The judge would then give his punishment to the robber when he's caught.


	2. Chef

**Who's the Killer**

**By: Late-Sleeper**

**Beta-reader: Pay Backs a Bitch**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own a thing…

* * *

**Chapter 1: Chef**

* * *

Naruto glance sideways waiting for someone to emerge from the shadows. He hated going to the Uchiha's mansion mainly because the house was supposed to be haunted after the massacre of Sasuke's clan in the late 90's. The only living Uchihas left were Sasuke and his older brother Itachi. Although he was Sasuke's best friend, the raven was tight lipped whenever he would ask what happen on the day of the massacre. After many fights and brawls Naruto realize that, it was best to keep the question at bay until the raven has deemed him worthy to be trusted.

"Dobe, are you scared?" Naruto glanced at his side and watches as Sasuke leans back on the bed they were sitting on. "Why would I be scared?"

"The game. They didn't specify what is the prize or punishment after the game."

Naruto too laid his back on the bed then turn to his side facing the raven, who's now resting his head on both hands with his eyes close. "Huh? This is just for fun…"

"Games have prizes dobe. Prizes make people persevere more. The question is: are you willing to give that prize up?"

"What the hell are you tal…" "Shhhh dobe. Someone is coming." Sasuke jolted up and put his hand on Naruto's mouth to silence him. They heard hurried footsteps outside the room. Sasuke frowned and waited it to disappear.

* * *

Shikamaru, Lee and Gaara waited for Chouji to emerge from the room up stair. The best chef in town had ransacked the Uchiha's mansion of its food and now the big guy is now suffering a stomach ache. Karma's a bitch.

"Che! Troublesome." Shikamaru shook his head and groan. "I'm going up to see if he's still at the praising the toilet bowl. Troublesome."

Gaara shrugged and gave him the I-don't-give-a-fuck-why-are-you-even-telling-me-look and Shika even wonder why he bothers. Lee on the other hand gave him two thumbs up and gave his trademark pearly teeth grin.

He wanders on the hallway and looking through doors with no success. He then opened an already slightly opened door more when suddenly he felt a presence near him. He glanced at his back but saw no one. He shrugged it off and went again on searching for his lost friend.

An eerie cry made him jolt with fright he rushes towards the source of the voice and was shocked to see a wounded Chouji leaning on the sink. "Chouji?!"

"What the hell happened?" Naruto came rushing towards his two companions, Sasuke on tow. He kneels down at the fallen Chouji and grab on to his bleeding hand.

"Someone…some…he…he tried to kill me…but I fought…" Chouji eyes were big with fright as memories of the assault flooded him with force.

Naruto felt shivers run cold down his whole system as he watched and listened to Chouji. Shikamaru on the other hand tried wrapping Chouji's wrist with the cloth he grabbed nearby. "Where's Neji, he's the fucking doctor here."

Like on cue Neji burst inside the bathroom and ask the trio what happened, Kiba and Shino came running after. "Someone attack Chouji."

"This isn't funny you guys." Kiba frowned as he looks away from the blood spluttered at the floor. "See I told you guys that this idea sucks. We should have gone to the bar."

"Bar? That's why you hit Chouji so you could make a point?" All the people turn around and saw a smirking Sai leaning by the door. "What do you mean, asshole?"

Sai smirk did not flatter which only fuel Kiba's rage and prompting him to attack the raven. A hand shot up and a body blocks Kiba from ever reaching Sai. Kiba growled lowly at the blond blocking his way. "Move Naruto."

"No."

"I said move damnit!"

"Kiba, stop this."

Kiba snarled and grabbed Naruto's wrist and pinned him on the wall. Sasuke immediately yanked the dog man and hurls him away from the frighten blond. "What the hell is your problem?"

"This is your fault. If we didn't stay here none of this could have happened." Kiba pointed accusingly at Naruto and glares at everyone else. "I'm leaving now."

Kiba stomped out of the room. "Don't touch." Kiba glanced back at Sai and frowned. The raven in turn smiled at him with a hint of evil lurking on his lips. He glared back and stomps away.

"Do you think he did it?" Sai looked back over his shoulder and was not surprise to see Gaara. "I don't know. What I know is…nobody's getting out of here." A slight frown was all Sai got from the green eye man.

Naruto heave a loud sigh of relief as he tried to stand up straight with out getting his knees turning into jelly. He did not know why but he has a feeling this is going to be much, much worst.

He glances back at Sasuke who is staring intently at what Shikamaru and Neji was looking at. His eyes went huge upon seeing a bloodied writings on the wall at the far end of the bathroom. With all the commotions, he never noticed the large writings on the wall.

He felt spine-chilling sensation upon reading the words written in blood, possibly Chouji's…

"_**Don't touch what's mine."**_

What the hell was that?

The meaning was vague, still he felt suffocated from all the sensation he is feeling while reading the inscription.

Was Kiba right?

Is this somehow connected to the game? It cannot be. They're just friends playing.

Then again, it must been years since they met again…

Did something change?

**:TSUZUKU:**


	3. Veterinarian

**Who's the Killer**

**By: Late-Sleeper**

**Beta-reader: ****Pay Backs a Bitch**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own a thing…

**Note:** Not for children...so please if you don't want to read a death fic go read somebody else's fic...

* * *

**Chapter 2: Veterinarian**

* * *

Kiba grabbed his jacket from his bag hastily. He was freaking angry at Sai! How dare he accuse him of hurting Chouji! Even if he were against playing the game, he wouldn't dare lay a finger on their friend to make a point.

Damn him!

Then again, getting all hyped up and attacking the blond would only fuel their suspicion on him. Damn! Why did he attack Naruto just now was beyond him. Maybe he just freaked out by what happened minutes ago, but would they buy that reason?

He shook his head in annoyance; of course, they would not. There is no excuse on hitting the blond just like that. Damn!

Kiba slammed his hand on the bed and he felt himself tremble with intense emotion. He wondered why the hell someone would hurt Chouji like that.

A shuffle broke Kiba's trance. Alarm bells started ringing endlessly inside his head and his stomach did a flip. He glanced at the door and readied his fist for the attack. A head popped out from the door and he gave a loud sigh. "What do you want Shika?"

"I'm just going to inform you Chouji's is doing fine, don't worry Naruto doesn't suspect you. You know how innocent he is." Shikamaru leaned on door and watched Kiba at the corner of his eye. "What about you Shika?"

"I don't suspect anyone…yet. Though it is weird that our cell phones have gone missing, at least that what they say down stair."

Kiba sneered at Shikamaru but proceeded to find his phone. "Mine's gone too. What the hell is happening here?" He stared back at Shikamaru with a frown. "Just as I thought. Well anyway I think someone is really going after us."

"Cut it out Shika." With that Shikamaru left the slightly frighten Kiba inside his room.

* * *

Naruto rubbed his sore wrist as he glance warily at his solemn companion. "Sasuke, what do you think is happening?" Sasuke glance back at the blond and shook his head in resignation. He too was at lost on what was happening. "I don't know dobe, but we better be careful just in case. Tomorrow morning we will leave this place."

Naruto nodded though not really convinced about the idea. He glanced at the clock on the wall. Six o'clock. It was too late to travel now. The roads are dark even at this hour and the next houses would take about an hour to reach. They are somewhat trap at the house _temporarily_. "Hey want something to eat?"

"Okay."

Naruto stood up, walked out of the room, and descended towards the kitchen. The hallway was quite dark and he cursed the old lighting system of the old mansion. He mentally noted that he should discuss this to Sasuke when the time comes. Selling the mansion would probably erase some of the memories in the raven haunting past.

He stalked towards the refrigerator and was glad that Chouji had not totally wiped out the whole content. He spied some bread and cheese. He also took some juice and drank it hurriedly. Feeling quite refresh he then proceeded to prepare their sandwiches. Sasuke like his just plain while the blond preferred it somewhat on the extravagant side with tomatoes and some greens.

He tried humming while he sliced some cheese to calm himself in the eerie silence of the house. He also wonders where the other people went. What the blond didn't know was that a shadow was lurking behind him watching his every move. He was already finishing topping his sandwich when a hand grabbed him by the nape.

Electricity shot runs down his spine and he freaked out in response. Without hesitation, Naruto grabbed the bread knife and pointed it fiercely at his assailant.

"Pointing a knife is not nice Uzumaki." Naruto almost collapsed on the counter of the kitchen upon realizing who had touch him. Gaara was looking at him impassively as the blond tried stabilizing his breath and heart. "WHAT THE HELL GAARA! You scared the shit out of me."

"Kiba couldn't be found. We have searched his room and up stair. We're going to search outside." Gaara walked away from the blond but before that he touched Naruto's cheek first and lean closer to the blond while whispering. "Don't trust no one."

Before Naruto could react, the red head was gone. Feeling a bit chilly, the blond rubbed his arms vigorously. He could not shake off the feeling that someone was still watching him.

He hurriedly took his meal and went up stair but upon entering he realizes that the raven was nowhere to be found. He frowned, laid their meal at a low coffee table, and stalked towards the veranda. Nope! No Sasuke there.

"Dobe." Naruto almost shriek upon hearing someone sneaked up on him. He glared at the intruder when his eyes landed on a frowning Sasuke. "What happen?"

"Lee found Kiba."

Naruto felt a dreaded emotion encircling his whole body. He searched Sasuke's face for further answer but the always-stoic man only gave a loud sigh and a sorrowful frown. "What are you trying to say teme?"

"They found him dead near the cars. His wrist slit. Come, all the others are downstairs." Still feeling wobbly at the news Naruto followed the raven down stair where their other friends are in solemn discussion.

"All the batteries of our cars have been hacked open, probably by an axe. There is no way we could travel by foot towards the nearest house. We're trap here like flies inside the jar." Naruto heard Shikamaru sighing loudly in annoyance. He knew that the well-known detective was piss tremendously by the tone of his voice. "Shino found our cell phone near a large tree. Smashed into pieces. Damn this is troublesome."

"Did anybody see anything?" Neji look around the room expectantly. Naruto and Lee shook their head slightly while the others frowned. Neji sighed dejectedly. So much for leads. "Then I propose that we should act as group, or even groups of three. We do not know what we are dealing here. I don't want anymore people dying."

Naruto frown. "What do you mean?"

Shikamaru looked up from where he was sitting and gave a soft pain smile at the puzzled blond. "We also found Chouji lifeless on his bed. A sharp object lacerated his whole thigh. I…we…" Naruto slumped down at Shikamaru and hugged him like a child. Consoling him with silent words as the other man let go of his inhibition and sobbed quietly.

Sai leaning on the edge of the sofa loudly sigh getting both Naruto and Shikamaru's attention. "What if the killer is within us?"

"What?!"

Lee cocked his head to side and stared at Sai quizzically. "What are you implying Sai-kun?"

Sai smirk slightly. "The killer is killing us one by one. He's going to kill us until we hang the true killer." Glares were thrown Sai's way but the raven did not deter. "You've read what the killer wrote. '_**Nobody leaves until the game is over**_.'"

Sasuke shook his head upon remembering the haunting writings on the side of Naruto's car where they found Kiba dead. Like the first message, the second was written in blood. Kiba's blood. The fucking murderer is leaving them messages but they do not have a clue whom they are dealing with.

Naruto upon hearing Sai felt the familiar sensation of him being, once again, watched by someone. He looked around and found no one except his friends.

"Even if that's the case the killer won't kill anyone when he's in a group." Neji answered firmly. Shikamaru nodded his head. "I agree. In this situation, number is power. The killing pattern is strike one at a time."

"Then what do we do?" Lee felt his cop-attitude kicking in. He swore he would protect his friends no matter what. He would not let the killer take away one more person in this room. "We assign watchers. We'll divide the group into two and assign leaders for each group." Neji looked around expecting some arguments but receive none. "Since Shika is a detective and Lee is a cop I think it would be best if they lead each group respectably."

Sai nodded in agreement as Naruto and Sasuke said 'okay' in unison. "Then choose your team."

Sasuke encouraged Naruto to join Shikamaru's team while he would join the other team. In that way, one of them would patrol while the other sleeps. Neji joined Lee's group together with Sasuke and Shino and was declare the first watchers. Shikamaru together with Naruto, Sai and Gaara were to be the second watch. Both teams decided to sleep in the master's bedroom since it's the only place they all fit.

**:TSUZUKU:**

**LateSleeper:** Who do you think is the killer? Reasons? Send them in. Saa...I love reading reviews like that.


	4. Hidden in Clues

**Who's the Killer**

**By: Late-Sleeper**

**Beta-reader: ****Pay Backs a Bitch**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own a thing…

* * *

**Chapter 3: Hidden in Clues**

* * *

Naruto and the gang prepared the room they're going to occupy. Lee's team scattered themselves in the four corners of the room. Sasuke sat on a large sofa, opposite the bed and attentively watched the window for any telltale sign of the killer while Neji positioned himself near Lee who was clutching the front of his pants in concentration. Shino went to sit near the bed Shikamaru's team was occupying.

Naruto whose mind was working non-stop couldn't help but sigh every now and then as he recall the horrifying event that took place moments ago. He still couldn't believe that Kiba and Chouji are dead. This was all surreal.

He hoped that when he woke up tomorrow, everything would go back to being normal. This was just a nightmare. His mind was just playing with him.

A hand jolted him from his trance. He glanced at his side and saw Shikamaru smiling apologetically at him. "Sorry to scare you." Naruto shook his head and smiles at him. "No, I'm a bit jumpy ever since this whole incident started."

"Shika…" Naruto turned his whole body to face the pineapple head genius. "It's not your fault. We all thought Chouji was safe. Heck even I thought it was a prank or some sort." A smile crossed Shikamaru's face. "Yeah, thanks. Still, this is all hard for me to accept. Two of our friends are dead and we didn't do anything." Naruto feeling the same, pat Shikamaru's hand. "Don't worry; we'll avenge their deaths…somehow."

"Hey Naruto…"

"What?"

"Do you believe what Sai said?"

Naruto rose a bit to hover over Shikamaru. He frowned at the sighing genius on his side. "No. We're friends. No friend could ever hurt his friends."

"We could be called friends but we're not all tight like you think we are, Naruto. For example, Sasuke and you. The Uchiha does think of you as his friend but I don't think he really feel the same way towards the others." Naruto frown deepened but didn't argue since he knew that what Shika was saying were true. "We all just fall into place like a puzzle but were not really sure what the other is really feeling. Gaara too. I don't know what the guy is thinking but I do know he thinks of you as his friend, maybe Lee too. Although I don't think he cares much about Sai, Shino, or Chouji except that they're part of the group." Naruto gave a small smile as he remembers Shikamaru telling a story about Gaara who did not even remembered his friend's names when Temari asked him who was with drinking when they were still in high school. Gaara at that time just said nonchalantly that he was with a gay guy wearing midrib, a bug boy and a fat guy. The three were furious at the red head for two days until they have realized that Gaara was just being Gaara.

Damn! He still calls him by the last name even though he is the closest to the young politician. "Heh! Gaara is just secretive. You know he cares about them in his I-don't-give-a-fuck-attitude. Although it still puzzles me why did he ever go to politics?"

"Yeah. Still…you shouldn't trust too much, Naruto. That's your biggest flaw. People change." The blond pouted but didn't say a thing. He still would not accuse anyone of his friends. He won't! He trusted them with his life.

"We must catch this killer no matter what. That's the only way we could prove our innocence." Shikamaru watched as Naruto's face lit up in determination. Give it to Naruto to be optimistic when all are loss in the darkness. "Then how do you suppose to do that?"

"Well. Anou…AH! You're the detective here Shika!" Naruto jabbed Shikamaru with a finger on his side, which made the genius cringe a bit by the quick sharp pain. "Che! Troublesome as always. Hmm…there is…"

"Huh?"

"Remember the written messages?"

"Don't remind me." Naruto cringed a bit as he envisioned the vague message written in blood on the bathroom wall they've found Chouji. He felt chills run down his spine. "There's something very intriguing with those…the killer is warning or even threatening us with something."

"What?"

"The first one was: _Don't touch what's mine_. The second was: _Nobody leaves until the game is over_. The second is clear. That whoever the killer is, he's going to keep on killing until we catch him or until he kills us all."

Naruto scooted closer to Shikamaru and grabs on to his hand. He felt terror engulfing his whole body as he felt a pair of eyes watching him intently. "But I can't get what he meant 'don't touch what's mine'. Did Chouji take something the killer owns?"

Naruto frown. He knew Chouji wouldn't take things were not his, well except for food but only if he knew it's his friend's food.

His friend's food. Friends…

Then again, killing because of food is absurd. Killing your friend is even weirder.

Damn! Now he is thinking that one of them really did kill their friends.

"The killing is the same method. Slash with a sharp thing; probably a knife. Therefore, it's probably the same person. Then there are those weird lacerations…the killer sure as hell was mad at them, seeing how the laceration almost tore out the skin. He's mad at them for something."

Naruto became contemplative for a minute and tried hard to come up with the connection between the two people. Chouji only fault is gluttony while Kiba is…

Maybe the dog-breath pissed off someone, and that someone wants to take revenge on him.

Then again, why did it have to involve Chouji too?

What did the two have in common?

Naruto shook his head to clear his mind a bit. Kiba was the mood shifter of the group same as him. They're the risk takers, the clowns of the group.

While Chouji is the silent spectator, the pacifist of the group.

Fuck now that he think about it, they're almost total opposite of each other. Is that the link Shikamaru is looking for? Then what does this clue have to do to make the killer stop?

He glanced back at Shikamaru and realizes that the lazy bastard was already sleeping. Damn sloth!

"Night Shika!"

Chouji is gluttony…

Kiba is pride…

The seven deadly sins…

**

* * *

**

:TSUZUKU:

**Late-Sleeper: **Find the killer and save the rest...reasons, reasons, reasons what I love the best


	5. Beginning to doubt

**Who's the Killer**

**By: Late-Sleeper**

**Beta-reader: ****Pay Backs a Bitch**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own a thing…

* * *

**Chapter 4: Beginning to doubt**

* * *

Naruto laid his back comfortably at the back of the sofa as he watched Lee's group doze off. It was their group's turn to patrol. He glanced at the clock at the wall. Four A.M., only few more hours till the break of dawn. He yawned loudly and scooted towards his still sleepy companion. "Hey Shika?"

"Hmm?"

"I've been thinking. I think I know how the killings are connected."

Shikamaru opened his eyes and turned his face towards Naruto, puzzlement was written all over his face. "Huh? How?"

"Seven deadly sins."

"Huh? Sorry…I think my brain just got numb. What the hell are you talking about Naruto?!" A loud restrain sigh broke off Shikamaru's lips. "You said that the killings are connected. That we could prevent it if we know how or why the killings are connected…I remember that Iruka told me once that man has seven deadly sins…"

"Naruto, it's four in the morning. I'm sleepy and I don't get what the hell you're saying."

Naruto groaned out in frustration as he explained his theory to the supposedly the most intelligent person in the bunch. "Chouji is gluttony, Kiba is pride. There are seven in all…wrath, lust, greed, envy and sloth."

"…"

"Let us say that wrath could be Gaara, lust is Sai, envy is Neji, greed…err…could be Sasuke and you're the sloth."

"Then Naruto, that leaves you, Lee and Shino as suspects. Though, good job at deducing…" Shikamaru yawned, arms stretched in mid air he stares at the frowning blond. He patted the blonde's knee and smiles. "Don't worry Naruto we'll catch him."

Naruto smiled back at the sleepy genius. He suddenly felt very uneasy as a pair of eyes watched him from a distance. He roamed his eyes inside the room and saw a pair of aqua-green eyes staring at him intently. 'Gaara.'

* * *

"Fuck! The weather gone sour on us. I think we're trapped here again for an indefinite time, until the rain subsides." Neji shook his head as he watched the rain fall outside the window.

Naruto snorted. He was missing the loud-mouthed Kiba a lot. Without him, Naruto felt left out. Come on, he was fucking left with the most brooding, pompous, and silent people Konoha had ever produced.

Sasuke was going emo on him again, Neji was being the goody good guy, Shika is dozing off, Shino was …talking to his bug, Sai was sitting there quietly, even though he was perverted he wasn't that talkative unless he was pissing Naruto off, Lee was the only one he could really chat with…though Lee was weird.

Damn! If he didn't know every single one of them he could suspects anyone of them being the killer. Come on…Silent, mysterious, sociopath...recipes for being a serial killer were written all over their resume.

Oh yes, and there is also Gaara.

Naruto glanced at the red head and wasn't shocked to see the impassive man looking back at him, impassively I might add. Who stares at people like that? A serial killer that's who.

Fuck! He shouldn't be thinking that. A doubt in his mind would be the ruin of him.

He gave a nervous smile at the man but Gaara still gave no reaction whatsoever. He fidgeted a bit on his seat and tried listening to what Lee was babbling about.

A hand on his shoulder almost made him shriek. "Dobe." Naruto glanced up at Sasuke as the raven beckoned him to follow him. Naruto wordlessly stood up and followed the raven out of the room. He gave a silent smile at Shikamaru who raised his brow in question. The lazy genius groans a bit but nods his head in silent approval. What can he do? The raven dominated the blonde's world even if Naruto denied it to his death.

Silence reined between the two. Nobody said a word adding to the already deafening silence of the still hallway. They are few rooms away from the master's bedroom when Naruto who couldn't stop the itch to question the impassive man suddenly grabbed Sasuke's arm and asked. "Teme, where are we going?"

"Somewhere."

"Somewhere?"

"Dobe, just follow me." Naruto shook his head and frowned as he let go of the raven's arm. "Teme, we should go back."

Sasuke slowly turned his face over his shoulder and frowned at the hesitating blond. A look of fear was all Sasuke need to confirm his doubt. "Do you doubt me dobe?"

"What?! No, of course not! Why'd you think that teme?"

"Because you're hesitating to go with me, alone."

"That's… that's not true… you know that!" Naruto stomped his feet at the floor as he fisted both his hand on his side. He didn't really doubt Sasuke. It's just that he felt something… sinister and he couldn't put a finger on it. "Teme, I trust you. I trusted you even though you don't trust me that much."

Sasuke was getting irritated and stalked towards the blond and glared at him. "What the hell are you talking about, dobe?"

Naruto raised his face to level it with Sasuke's, tears started welling up on his eyes as he remembered the memories he had long ago forgotten. "Fine dobe. Go back to the room." With that Sasuke turned on his heel and walked away from the blond as Naruto was rooted on the spot. He couldn't believe that Sasuke thought he was betraying him.

Fuck! How can he think that after all they've been through?

The hell!

Seconds passed before Naruto was release from his stupor. He hurriedly ran towards the path Sasuke took when a hand suddenly shot up and grabbed his hand. In a forceful tug, the blond was dragged into a dark room. Panic shot inside him like a bolt of lightning. He felt his whole body getting cold. He was about to shriek when a hand shut him up making him shivered with fear.

He was going to fucking die.

The hand felt slightly cold against his skin, he tried kicking but his assailant did not budge. He could feel his captor slightly warm breath caressing his nape. The hand clutching both his hand in tight grip tightened even more as seconds passed. He couldn't believe that he had been easily captured like that. Fuck! He should have studied Wu Shu like Sai. He tried wiggling his way out when suddenly his captor spoke. "Uzumaki…"

Oh god!

Please let it be not him…

"Gaara?"

"Don't scream. I'll take my hands off you, but don't scream." Naruto nodded vigorously and in an instant felt Gaara's hand loosening thus releasing him from his hold. He hurriedly scuffles to open the light. He tripped a bit as he reached the light switch.

His eyes gave a silent protest at the sudden brightness. He blinked a few times to rub out the blurriness of his eyes. He tried to focus his attention to where the fucker stood.

Gaara stared impassively at Naruto not even the slightest affected by the sudden brightness of the room. Naruto could only groan in frustration as the red head looked at him as though he hadn't attacked him just a minute ago. Damn psycho!

"What the hell was that?!"

Naruto walked toward the redhead and aimed a fist at him, on which the redhead easily caught with his open palm. He launched another punch but Gaara dodged it effortlessly that infuriated the blond more. "Stay still dumb-ass so I can punch you."

Gaara gave a small smirk at Naruto's way while the blond tried to punch him in the gut. Gaara caught the blonde's fist and using it he pulled the blond towards him. A chill suddenly enveloped the blonde's body, starting a loud alarm bells to ring. He tried to pushed the redhead but he had him in a vice grip.

Gaara leaned towards the blond and whispered. "Stay away from them. Consider this as a warning, Uzumaki or somebody would get hurt." Then with that, Gaara gently brushed his lips to Naruto's.

* * *

"Where have you been?" Shikamaru growled angrily at Naruto. The blond had gone missing for a whole hour together the Uchiha. "We told you that we always move in groups. Where the hell is Uchiha?"

Naruto still dumbfounded shook his head and plopped down the sofa near Sai. Shikamaru slapped a hand on his forehead in irritation. "FUCK! Shino come on. We'll look for Neji and Lee; maybe they've found Sasuke and Gaara."

Gaara…it gave Naruto the shivers as he remembered what had happened between the two of them earlier.

Shikamaru walked towards the door but then halted upon reaching it, he looked back over his shoulder and glared at a grinning Sai. "Take care of that idiot or else. I don't want to see him dead or hurt." He shook his head as he concluded that giving the task to Sai would be his worst decision ever.

Sai grinned wider and made a mock salute at the lazy genius. Shikamaru, in irritation, gave him the bird. He smiled back in earnest and gave a flying kiss on their way only to get a slammed door in response. He faced the still trembling blond when their two companions were gone. "Trouble in paradise, dick-less?"

"I'm not in the mood for this Sai." Naruto said as he gave a loud moan and covered his eyes with his arm.

"Oh. So I hit the mark! Why? Did the traitor tried to kill you?" Sai peered closely at Naruto and leered. Naruto, upon hearing Sai bad mouthing his best friend almost jumped at Sai with a killer intent. Nobody messes with Sasuke. Sasuke was not a traitor. No, no longer a traitor…

He shot a hand at Sai and grabbed on the raven's collar when suddenly Sai pointed a sharp object at him. A scalpel. Probably Neji's…but why the hell would Neji brought such things and why was it with Sai?

"Or was it the other way around." Sai licked his lips as he watched the blond tremble, not with fear but with anger blazing on his pretty blue eyes. Sai love seeing those eyes blaze with hate and anger…those same eyes that he saw years and years ago in a massacre that killed many people including his own.

A hiss left Naruto's lips, as his eyes turned red with rage but with a pointed scalpel on his face, he restrained himself from strangling the man. He could feel 'him' emerging once more from his subconscious. He tried to hard to restrain 'him' from emerging.

Please…not now. His friends are all here. He would not let 'him' kill them…like he did too those many people two decades ago.

Sai gave a leer at Naruto and chuckled. "I know what you are. I know your past and _killing_ is one of them, am I right?" Sai leaned closer to the blond and whispered maliciously. "…_Kyuubi_."

Naruto eyes narrowed. He can't believe he was hearing it…the past that he wanted to erase. It kept on resurfacing. Again and again.

Make it stop please.

Make it stop.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Naruto turned his head to the newcomer and was shocked to see an enraged Uchiha. Sai on the other hand smiled back at the death glare Sasuke was throwing him.

Sasuke was seeing red as he glared at the scalpel the pervert was holding. He glanced a few seconds at the paling blond and felt guilty leaving the poor blond behind…alone.

He promised he'd always protect the blond.

He failed…_again_. Twice.

"This is just a protection. Since an _ex-con_ is with us." Sai gave a meaningful look at Naruto whose eyes went saucers as his whole face paled. A loud growled escaped Sasuke's lips as Sai sneered at him too.

Sasuke stalked towards the two, grabbed Sai's hand, and hauled him off Naruto and to the floor. Sai cringed as his butt collided with the floor. Damn he never knew the fucking Uchiha was strong. He smirked; this would be a fun fight.

Sasuke, infuriated with Sai's malicious smile cocked his fist and was about to leap towards the fallen man when an angry voice on his back stopped him.

"ENOUGH!"

Neji walked in the room and grabbed on Sasuke's arm to restrain him from jumping towards the grinning Sai. Neji shot a glare at Sai and frowned at the scalpel the he was holding.

"Don't stop me, Hyuuga. I'm going to kill the _killer_." Sasuke wiggle his body from Neji's tight grip. He swore that he would break Neji's arm if the fucker would not let his arm go.

"Unfortunately, he's not the _killer_."

"WHAT?!" Sasuke turned his body to face the pale-eyed boy. "What the hell are you saying?"

Naruto shot a confused look at Neji's way. Sai was amused and sat still on the floor as all eyes went to look at Neji's face.

"Shikamaru found Gaara dead. He was hanged in a room a few feet from here."

**:Tsuzuku:**

**Late-Sleeper:** Now the really fun begins…Seek the killer and save the rest, loose him and you'd find them all dead. Tell me the reasons why you'd suspect then maybe, maybe I'd let the killing go to _rest_…


	6. Politician

**Who's the Killer**

**By: Late-Sleeper**

**Beta-reader: ****Pay Backs a Bitch**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own a thing…

* * *

**Chapter 5: Politician**

* * *

"Gaara's dead."

Naruto froze at Neji's statement.

It can't be. No, it just can't be! He was with him a few…NOOO!

"NO, he can't be dead. He was…I was just." Naruto stuttered while all eyes fell on him. He gripped the arm of the sofa tightly making his fist as white as snow. Haunting images flowed through his memories.

"Naruto?" Shikamaru, who just got into the room before Naruto freaked out, scrambled to the blond's side and shook his shoulder slightly. "Naruto?!"

"It's the confession of a serial killer." All eyes landed on Sai, venomous looks pointed his way but the raven shrugged it off as if it was nothing. "You've heard him." Sai pointedly glanced at Naruto. "You were with him before you gone back here, haven't you?"

Naruto glanced back at Sai with wide eyes. He felt Sai persecuting stare.

He knew those stares. He knew them all too well, stares that called him a monster. It was all happening again.

His hand trembled as he recalls his and Gaara's rendezvous a moment ago. He cringed as he remembers how Gaara's lips touched his.

How fucking cold the redhead lips as it grazed on his neck.

Naruto at that time had been too shock to comprehend what was happening, when his mind finally did, he went berserk and found himself kicking Gaara in the groin. He remembered Gaara falling down, how he leaped towards the man in great fury and then all was a blur to him afterwards. He knew he had knocked the air out of Gaara and punched a few blows though he really could not remember how and when.

All he knew is that when he calmed down he was inside the bathroom rinsing his bloodied hand and winching as the water run down on his abrasion. He waited for almost half an hour to calm himself up to face his friends once more…to face the redhead.

Beyond that, no memories could resurface.

Naruto looked up and stared at Shikamaru's questioning gaze but the lazy man just shook his head with determination. "Naruto, where have you been? Was it true that you were with Gaara?"

"Yes."

Shikamaru frowned. He then shook his head in exasperation at Naruto's confession. "Did you?"

"I don't remember…I blanked out. I don't know…I don't think I did. No way, I can't." Naruto clutched his hands together as if praying, he lowered his head to hide his welling tears to the scrutinizing gaze he was receiving. He felt his whole body trembling uncontrollably as he felt chills caressed his body in silent embraced.

"Then why were you trembling when you got here? What's that blood stain sticking on your shirt?" Sai stood up and walked towards the trembling man but was stop by a hand on his chest pushing him off slightly. He looked at the face connected to the hand and wasn't surprised to see goody good doer Hyuuga. "Enough, Sai."

Sai gave a malevolent smile on Neji's way. "Why? Are you going to confess to save him?" Neji's face hardened.

Lee stood up and grabbed Neji's cocked fist before it ever reached Sai's face. "Enough Sai-kun. Neji wouldn't do that." Sai cocked a brow and wave the shiny scalpel in front of him. "Then care to tell me why the hell did you bring this?"

Neji frowned deepened as he stared at the shiny object Sai was holding. He gave a small leer as he took his hand off Lee's hand and walked towards a chair and sat on it. He cocked his brow up and stared back at Sai with a smile. "I'm not the one holding it, am I right?"

Sai smiled back as he studied Neji's facial expression. He cracked the jackpot. He always knew Neji isn't the goody good person he portrayed him to be. He was like them, mysterious, sinister, manipulative, uncanny… a bad apple like the rest of them. That's why they clicked.

Birds of the same feathers do flock together.

"I've been snooping around." Sai walked towards the small coffee table in the middle of the room as eyes warily watched his every move. He laid the scalpel on the table where Shikamaru took the pointed object for observation. Sai took his seat on the table and crossed his arm as he fought the death glare Neji was sending him.

"Snooping? Why? You do know that by having that automatically suspect you as the killer." Neji said as he crossed his leg as he laid his hand atop his knee while he rested his head on the other. He smiled at the cracking Sai who's frowning deeply in concentration.

Sasuke watched with fascination as the two tried cracking the other's façade. He thought the famous doctor was winning when his gaze fell on Sai upturned lips. Not a good sign. "Oh but I have alibi. I have been here the whole time. Ask them." Sai cocked his head towards Shikamaru and Naruto. The lazy genius nodded his head in agreement while the blond gave a small smile. "See?"

"Then I have an alibi too. I was with Lee." Neji gave a content sigh as if urging Sai to challenge that. Sai frowned but said nothing.

"All the time?" Neji glared at the source of the voice when his gaze landed on the eerie bug man who's playing with his pet roach with his fingers. Shino even without looking at the people around him felt the pointy glares aimed his way. He smirked at that. He felt somewhat left out with all this commotion and the one thing he hated is to be left out. "Were you with Lee all the time?" Shino took his gaze off his pet and thrown it towards the silent Lee.

Lee shook his head.

Shikamaru gave a loud restrained sigh and stared hard at Shino. This was too troublesome for him. "Then that would make all of us the suspects. If I remember correctly we separated too to look in different rooms."

Shino grinned at Shikamaru. "Yes, then you found the body. If I do remember correctly your hands were bloodied." Shikamaru frowned a bit. Too troublesome.

"For trying to save Gaara, sadly I was too late."

Sai smiled and looked over his shoulder towards Sasuke. "And what about you Uchiha?"

"I'm Uchiha Sasuke. I don't fuck what you think."

Neji snorted and crossed his arm. "Then as Sai said he probably is the most innocent in the group." With that, he stood up and walked towards the still trembling blond. "Naruto let me feel your pulse, you're still fucking trembling like a leaf and you look like a ghost." Naruto gave a small smile and handed his wrist to Neji's awaiting hand.

Sasuke growled lowly and walked out of the room as he slammed the door on his way out. He was still enraged. He was fucking angry at all of them…

At Naruto…

At himself…

Neji shouted at the Uchiha to get back but his plea fell on deaf ears. He clacked his tongue in irritation as he glanced at Shino. "Shino go after that brat."

Shino smirked evilly at the seething physician as he intertwined his fingers together. "But what if I'm the killer?" That earned him a loud groan and pointed look from Neji. "Then kill the bastard for all I care, and then hide yourself so that I will not find you to extract my revenge. Go!"

The bug man gave a satisfied sigh and stood up from his seat. He waved a farewell to both Shikamaru and Naruto. When Shino left the room Sai also stood up and walked towards the door.

"I don't want to surround myself with killers." With that Sai left the room.

Neji shook his head in irritation as he tried focusing the task at hand. Shikamaru sighed and stood up. He patted Naruto's shoulder. "Hey, I don't doubt you. Neji, take care of him okay? I'd follow Sai. He might be the next." Neji nodded as he continued assessing Naruto's condition.

"And Naruto…I think you're right. It must be the seven deadly sins." He slowly walked towards the door but stopped for a second as though in deep thoughts. He turned around and smiled at Naruto. "And…most killers have the most alibis." With that, Shikamaru was gone.

Lee walked towards the two and questioned the blond. "Seven deadly sins?"

A loud sighed escaped from blond as he told the bushy brow his theory. Lee listened in concentration and frowned a bit as he digest all the information the blond was saying.

To Lee, the theory was logical. He remembered having dealt with serial killers like this. They have patterns…and sometimes the most absurd one.

"Then Gaara is wrath. Sasuke is greed and he's with Shino. While Shikamaru is the sloth and Sai is lust then they are both in danger." Lee stood up. "I'd gotta find them. Neji." Lee gave Neji a determined glanced and the irritated doctor nodded his head. "Fine. Go ahead and find them."

With that Neji and Naruto was left alone in the large eerie room where Sasuke's parents where killed.

Neji stood up from where he was kneeling and sat next to the blond. "Neji…"

"Hmm?"

"How did Gaara died?" Neji looked at the blond as the Naruto stared off into space as though he was talking to no one in particular. Neji gave a loud sigh then smiled at the blond. "He was hanged."

Naruto hummed a bit but continued looking at a distant horizon. His face not conveying anything that Neji felt like he was talking to a live doll. "The message?"

Neji shook his head as he continued to gaze at the blank face of the blond. He hated it when the blond was like this. Hated it more when he knows he can't do anything about it. He shook his head and plopped his head on the back of the sofa as he too stared off the horizon where the blond was looking hoping he could glimpse at what the blond was seeing. "I hate people like you. That's what the message said."

"Written in blood?"

"Yes."

"How did he lo…"

"He was hanged. Hiss face was almost scratched off. A bruised on the arms with some scratch…probably by fingernails. He looked like he fought before he got killed." Neji rubbed off the weariness of his eyes as he continued looking far away. "The killer is getting much bolder. Much sinister."

"Yes, do you think I'm right? That it is the deadly sins that's killing our friends…"

"Maybe…I guess. The first massage was: Don't touch was mine…it's usually used when you're fighting over food. Then Kiba's message sound arrogant…bossy…pride. Then Gaara's has hate written…wrath. Yeah, I guess you're right.

Naruto smiled and shielded his eyes from an unseen light. Neji looked at him with curiosity as he began to giggle uncontrollably as the time passed. A heave of breath and a sigh ended the blond sudden burst of insanity as Neji watched in slight amusement.

"Then…would you believe if I tell you that I'm _might_ be the killer?" Neji cocked his brow up and hovered over the blond. He frowned slightly as the blond gave him an apologetic smile and a sigh of dejection. "Don't believe what the bastard told you. You're not a killer."

"Not anymore. You know I was…when…"

"Naruto…I told you. It wasn't your fault. Damn! You were a fucking five years old at that time. You can't possibly believe you killed a whole compound of people. They're just messing with you…they want someone to blame and you were the easiest target at that time."

A silent sob escaped Naruto's lips as he grabbed on to Neji's shirt. "I'm a killer!"

"No you're not!" Neji tried pacifying the blond. "I know that for a fact." Unknown to the blond a small smirk was etched on Neji's lips hidden by the darkness and stillness of the room.

* * *

Sasuke was stomping in agitation as he angrily opened each door he passed on. He was on the west wing on the house far away from the commotion and the blond that were located on the east wing of the mansion. He slammed the door again when he hadn't found the thing he was looking for.

Shino on the other hand watched in fascination on how the raven was cooling off his anger and frustration. Something about Naruto was making the raven seething with rage and he knows what it was all about.

"I saw it." Sasuke turned around and faced the bug man. He didn't tried going around the bush since he knew then and there what the bug man was talking about. "You saw it? Even so, I don't think Naruto would believe you."

Shino smiled and pocketed his precious pet. Time to get serious.

"I want to help."

Sasuke smirked and nodded. 'The dobe would be into quite a shock…'

**:Tsuzuku:**

**

* * *

**

**Killer: **Please catch me. I don't want to kill anymore. I couldn't help myself.


	7. Letting a prisoner go

**Who's the Killer**

**By: Late-Sleeper**

**Beta-reader: ****Pay Backs a Bitch**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own a thing…

* * *

**Chapter 6: Letting a prisoner go**

* * *

Lee was cautiously glancing behind his back from time to time waiting for someone to give him a surprise attack. A chill ran down his spine as he caught a glimpse of a moving shadow at his side. He composed himself and readied his fists; he slightly berated himself from getting anxious from a simple illusion such as the shadow he just saw.

He tried calmly to approach the shadow but when he rounded around the corner, he saw no one. A sudden fear shot up from his whole body. Was it just a trick of the eye? An illusion? Or maybe he was hallucinating that he saw someone passed by.

A soft thump broke him from his musing; he turned around again but saw no one, not a living creature in sight. This was really getting on his nerve.

He stalked to a nearby room whose door is slightly ajar. He peeked inside and saw no one. He glanced at all corners of the room.

Strange.

Something felt strange about the room that he couldn't put a finger on. Out of curiosity, he walked inside totally forgetting what he was doing a minute ago. His fascination totally fixed on a large photo of previous occupant of the room.

Uchiha Sasuke.

He strolled towards the large oak drawers and grazed through the wood. It was clean. Far too clean for an abandoned mansion. Did Sasuke sleep there? He remembered the raven saying he slept with Naruto in one of the gazillion guest rooms in the house but why would he lie?

A picture frame caught his attention he gently took it and studied the people inside. He frowned as he focused his attention at a grinning Naruto and Kiba surrounded by impassive looking kids.

Neji, Sasuke, Gaara, Shino, Shikamaru and sometimes Sai have the best poker faces in town and ironically, they're all friends.

He couldn't help but to scoffed a bit. He always wondered how the hell did they ever become friends when half of the group members were social challenge. Must be a work of nature or some sort.

He put the frame down and again started wandering around the room. He stopped when he caught something in the corner of his eye. He stalked towards a dark area of the room and squatted to look at the things scattered haphazardly. He frowned at what he saw. Picture after picture were scattered in a nearby-concealed corner that he almost missed. He picked one up and studied the picture.

Naruto?

Then he picked one again.

Naruto again? Although this time, it was a much younger version of the highly acclaimed novelist maybe taken when they were just in high school.

He took the rest and was not surprised to see that all pictures contained Naruto.

Although one picture fascinated him, the most from the rest that is a picture of Naruto when he was just a kid…maybe the blond was about four to six years old.

He remembered that he met Naruto when they were in middle school…the blond was so fragile at that time and his only friends were Neji and Sasuke.

He chuckled a bit as he remembered how protective the two of them were when he suddenly approached the crying blond one rainy day. However, the reason why the blond was crying was still beyond him now.

After befriending the blond, much to Neji and Sasuke's annoyance they met Shikamaru with Chouji in tow. Then people started falling like puzzle. Then in their high school days, they met Sai then the gang was finally been completed.

They shared a deep bond.

A bond that's now slowly slipping away.

A crack.

He frowned a bit and tossed the pictures back at the floor. He slowly stood up but a chill run down his spine as a cold metal suddenly grazed his cheek. A trickle of blood slowly ran down from the small cut the pointed object scraped.

"What are you doing here?"

Lee frowned deepened. "Sai-kun could you please put down the knife?" A low chuckle was all the answer he got from the raven.

"Why did you come here?"

"To look for you and Shikamaru."

Sai frowned and retracted the weapon. Lee immediately stood up when he felt no more threat. He turned to face the frowning raven. He too frowned as he saw specks of blood from Sai's clothes and fingernails, though he said nothing. Acting now would be a fatal decision on his part.

"Then where is Nara?"

Lee who was taken aback by the suddenness of the question, he fisted his hand. He too was at lost were the lazy genius went. Did the killer get him?

Did Sai get him?

Or was it Shikamaru the killer, that's why he lied about looking for Sai.

His eyes narrowed but could offer no answer to Sai so he remained silent at the raven's intense scrutiny.

"Troublesome." Both Lee and Sai hurriedly turned their heads towards the newcomer, as the lazy genius rested his back on the closed door. Lee wondered when he came in and why he and Sai never heard him enter.

Shikamaru looked at Sai then gazed at Lee. He shook his head and scratched the back of his neck in irritation. "What are you doing here Lee?"

"I went to look for you two. Why is there a problem?"

Sai gave Shikamaru a sly grin. "Yes, Shikamaru is there a problem?"

"No. I was just wondering why you are here. Why are you defensive?" Shikamaru gave a pointed glare Sai as though the question directed not to Lee but to the raven.

"I'm sorry Shikamaru-kun, its must be the stress of all of this." Lee rubbed the back of his head as he mumbled his apology to the lazy genius. While oblivious to the death glares the two were giving to each other.

"Come on you two. Neji and Naruto are waiting for us." Shikamaru snapped.

Sai gave a sly smirked but made himself comfortable on a nearby chair. "I told you I don't want to be surrounded by the likes of you."

"Sai-kun…"

"…And I hate people touching what is mine." Sai gave a venomous glance at Lee. Shikamaru raised his brow at the vague statement but did not question what it was. Lee on the other hand gave a deep frowned.

"Fine. Do whatever you want. We don't really care what happens to you from now on."

"I'm sure you do."

A grin broke out from Shikamaru's lips. They regarded each other for a moment, when Shikamaru was satisfied he turned his back and proceeded to grab on to the knob when Lee spoke. "Sai-kun why are you here in Sasuke's room?"

"Why? He doesn't use it. He said we could use any room in the house. Besides, I like it here. We do like the same things…the same person."

"And the pictures?"

"My collection. My private collection that I don't anyone else touching." Sai growled lowly that Lee swear it was the first time he heard the raven snapped like that.

Sai was always the happy go lucky in the gang although he always did feel something mysterious around the raven for some reason, more sinister than what he felt for Neji, Sasuke and Shino.

Lee nodded and mumbled something as an apology. "I think we should leave now Shikamaru-kun."

"Troublesome."

With that, they left Sai alone inside the room with a leer on his face as he watched the two shut the door close.

Lee grabbed onto Shikamaru's arm to stop him. "Shikamaru-kun, I want to go down and seek some help."

"Huh? You do know that it is dangerous to trek down that trail alone especially with the killer on the loose."

"No, it's more dangerous to leave that alone without doing anything. The killer is becoming more sinister by a minute. He's desperate. I really think we should seek help. I should go."

Shikamaru sighed. "Then I'm coming with you."

"No, they need someone like you here. I should go alone, as you've said the trail is dangerous with this kind of weather, on the other hand I have an experienced in such occasion."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, having a companion would only slow me down. I have a gun, I can protect myself."

"Fine. Let's tell your plan to everyone."

"Okay."

* * *

Neji paced thru and fro the room waiting for their friends to arrive hopefully without a bad news at hand. Even though the sky has cleared a bit, they still couldn't go out and seek help. Walking down the steep and slippery trail could be fatal. It was suicide on its own.

They have to wait for another hour or so. Hopefully, by late noon they could trek down towards the next house.

He glanced at the door as he heard the tell tale sound of someone trying to open the door quietly. He waited for the person to emerge from the door and was a bit surprised to see Shino's head popping in.

"Where is the Uchiha?"

"I believe he wasn't convinced that we really wanted him to stay close and I quote '_then why the hell did they send you instead?' _" Shino gave a mock hurt face as he pocketed his hand in his pocket and tried to grab something inside it. A smile appeared on his face when he fingered the thing he was looking for.

Neji frowned but said nothing as Shino took his pet roach from his pocket and played with it with his finger. He waited for Shino to continue what he was saying but all was in vain, as the bug man fully indulges himself playing with his disgusting pet.

"I hope he's not dead somewhere."

"Don't worry he is not."

Neji nodded and proceeded to sit on a chair near the sleeping Naruto when Shino spoke again. "Although…I think he really felt hurt that you all of people didn't go to get him. He was expecting you."

Pale eyes narrowed with contempt as Shino smiled at him with glee evident on his eyes. "He might kill somebody if we left him all alone. You don't want that do you?"

"Then what do you suggest?"

"Look for him."

"You already did, right? Why would it make a difference if we did it again?" Neji eyed the bug man warily as he rest both his elbows on his legs as he laced his fingers together like he was praying and rested his chin there.

"Because if you ask him nicely he might concede, you're his second best friend after all. Weren't you?"

"The Uchiha and I aren't that close."

"Oh? But I thought the two of you have been friends together with Naruto since the age of two?" Shino gave a mock shock face that almost made Neji loose his composure. He smiled in return though at Shino's sly taunting.

"Naruto and I are friends, but I don't have the same feelings for the Uchiha."

"Oh my. I hope you do think of me as a friend."

Neji gave Shino a worried look. He, for the hell of him, doesn't get Shino's psychotic sense of humor. He wonders how Kiba could be close to a guy like him.

"What are you doing?"

"Making a point."

"About what?"

"That's for me to know and for a certain lovable person to found out. Hopefully he's not too late." Neji glared even more. Shino was planning something. He could feel it in his bones. What it is? That is what he wants to find out.

Shino smiled sweetly at the glaring Neji. "He's actually on the other room beside this one. Moping, hoping that someone by the name of Neji took him out of the darkness."

Neji glared daggers at Shino. "You want me to go there?"

"Yes."

"And leave you with Naruto alone?"

"Well…that's inevitable I think. You cannot be at two places at the same time, could you?"

Neji stood up and smirked, he walked towards the sleeping blond and shook him gently. "Naruto wake up."

Naruto yawned and rubbed his blurry eyes. He blinked twice as he tried to focus on the face hovering over his. "Neji?"

"Hmm…"

"Why? What's wrong?"

"I have to go somewhere."

"Huh? Why?"

"To save something important to you." Neji gave a sad smile to the blond for a second then replaced it with impassive expression the next. "Umm…are you sure you're okay? I can go with you."

"Nope. I'm all right. He would definitely go sulking again if we went together. You know how he hates seeing us together. I'll be in the next room. Holler if you're in trouble." Naruto even though still in puzzlement nodded his consent.

"Shino is here so don't worry."

"Okay."

"Don't worry, I think Naruto can take care of himself. He's a big man now." Shino not even glancing at the two smirked with so much amusement.

"Yeah, I can take care of myself."

"Okay. I'll leave the door open so I'll hear anything out of the ordinary. Don't close it." Neji pointedly stares at the smirking Shino and went out the door. A few seconds tick before anyone had spoken.

"Hmm…interesting. He was very easy to trick."

"What?!" Naruto stood up in shock and run towards the door but Shino was faster than he was. In an instant the creepy guy grabbed onto his waist in a vice grip and silenced him with another.

"Naruto, Naruto, Naruto. Such a gullible person. I heard you talking to Shikamaru about your stupid theory. Do you think you're right? Is it really is the seven sins? Then we three are the suspects?" A low chuckle escaped Shino's lips and Naruto couldn't help but shivered as Shino's warmth breath tickle his ear.

The blond tried wiggling to escape but he couldn't budge from Shino's tight grip. He nudged his elbow at the bug man earning him a low moan.

It was all he needed to attack Shino with all his might. He stomped his foot on Shino's foot hard. He's not a wuss! Damn if he let anyone manhandled him again for the second time.

What happen to him and Gaara was a fluke.

He won't let anyone harassed him again.

Shino with a restrain cry _loosened_ his hold on the blond, sensing this Naruto elbowed him once again on the gut.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Shino smirked at the newcomer and let Naruto go. Lee frowned a bit, while Shikamaru gave a pointy glare at Shino.

A chuckle was heard at the door that broke the tense atmosphere. "Are we having a wrestling?"

Shino in response smiled happily at the trio, while Lee was shocked to find Sai following them. Shikamaru on the other hand looked bored.

"What happened?" Neji rushed towards the blond pushing all the people in his way Sasuke in tow.

"Nothing." Shino smirked while Naruto glared at him with contempt.

Sasuke smirked as he approached the fuming blond. "I told you not to trust too much didn't I?"

Naruto in shock of hearing his best friend voice once again turned his head toward the voice. A smile etched on his lips involuntarily as Sasuke's hand sneaked towards his head ruffling his blond hair.

Unbeknownst to them inside the room a pair of eyes was blazing with fury. A fury so pure a promise of death was evident.

**

* * *

**

:TSUZUKI:

**Killer: **Tic Tac Tic Tac. I'm getting impatient…my hands are itching to kill…send now your guess that you may save your favorite character because after this I'll _kill_ the judge then _–evil cackle-_ the killing will never rest. I assure you that as much.

**Late-Sleeper: **Saa…honestly I was thinking ways how could I make all friends connected without making Naruto seems like a super uke. Saa…sadly I was at lost. Frankly, I do think in the real Naruto everyone is connected somehow to the blond and the blond hold them all together.

For example: Sai…hehehe that's too obvious. Sasuke, well that too. So now we go to Neji, honestly he's only close to Lee and TenTen, Hinata and Naruto. Lee is also close to the blond because of Sakura or whatever. I'm not really that interested. Kiba is connected to Naruto and his teammates and may seems okay with other teams too but not to Sai, Gaara or even Sasuke and Neji. Shino is well connected to his teammate and Naruto too…Well anyway, my point is the only solid connection they have is Naruto. Somehow I don't see or can imagine Shika and Neji hanging out together. But if Naruto was there then it's okay. Sai and Gaara? Sasuke and Neji? Gaara and Kiba? Sai and Shino? Gaara and Chouji? Kiba and Sasuke? Sasuke and Chouji Or even Neji and Shino. Get my drift. Only Naruto could hangout with anyone.

Saa…so I think the only common denominator that could be paired to anyone is Naruto (nonsexual of course)…then again I could be wrong…please give me your views. I'm kind of lost what to do…I need opinions people. So send them in, help this poor author.

**TO JaRyse:** Saa...unfortunately my beta has betaed this chap, so yeah...well if we ever do exchange our email adds...hopefully...I'd send you the rough draft of the last 2 chaps for "Wrong Call" instead...Saa...I still can't see your email add on your PM...or I'm just stupid? Saa...


	8. Death of the Judge

**Who's the Killer**

**By: Late-Sleeper**

**Beta-reader: ****Pay Backs a Bitch**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own a thing…

Chapter 7: The Death of the Judge

Naruto watched as Sasuke eyes glinted with malice as he stared at Shino. The raven was restraining a dark chuckle every now and then. That made Naruto panic thinking that the 'great Uchiha' has already lost it.

It was a very horrifying ordeal for the blond as he watched in agitation and wrung his hands while watching and waiting for his best friend to turn into Mr. Hyde.

Shino on the other hand was grinning like a _cat-that-just-ate-a-fat-canary_ as he petted his bug; a glint of malice also tainted his eyes.

Everyone inside the room was watching the two with both amusement and disdain. Shikamaru was the only exception who was looking at them with boredom written all over his face. The lazy genius gave a snort as he glanced at Lee who is now getting the things he would need to get some help from the nearest house possible.

"Okay. I think I have all the things I needed. I'm going now." Lee smiled and gave two thumbs up at the bored Shikamaru who only grunted in acknowledgement.

Both Neji and Shikamaru stood up to accompany Lee down stair and see to it that he departed from the house without harm. Naruto wave his good byes while the rest of the gang just nodded their heads.

When the three were gone, a pregnant pause ensued making Naruto squirm a bit unnervingly. Sai smirked at Naruto's uneasiness while Sasuke scolded him as he scooted closer to the raven.

"Dobe. Would you scoot away a little?" Sasuke snapped.

Naruto begrudgingly obliged and scooted away from the moody raven only to bump his body into the person seated beside him. A fear soared from his feet up to his chest as he felt the invisible smile from the person he bumped into.

Sai.

"Why the shocked face Naruto? Are you afraid of me?" Sai smiled maliciously and ran his fingers through the blonde's hair making the blonde's blood cold with sudden unknown fear. Something was wrong how Sai was touching him…

A hand suddenly shot up and grabbed Sai making the smiling man cringed a bit in pain. "Why Sasuke-kun, am I not suppose to touch _what is yours_?"

"Yes, Sasuke…are we not suppose to touch _your property_?" Sasuke shot a glare across the room, towards the bug boy. He tightened his grip on Sai's hand and pulled it off Naruto's head and glared at both Sai and Shino. The two just smiled at him with malice.

Naruto was still too shocked to move or to retort. Shino sensing Naruto's discomfort let his bug fly towards the blond. Naruto freaked out when the insect's tiny feet suddenly landed on his hand earning him a snigger from Shino who was watching him like a hawk.

"Why Naruto? Don't you like how my bug touches you?"

Sasuke growled but the bug man was unfazed by the anger the Uchiha was now emitting.

"Don't you like being touch Naruto?"

A pointed glare was thrown on him but he was enjoying Naruto's squirming to stop.

"Do you still feel the lingering feelings of my hand on your waist as I hold you the last time?"

"ENOUGH!!!" Sasuke stood up and was about to stomp towards the bug man when Sai spoke up. "Or how Kiba's hand burned on your wrist?"

Sasuke glared at Sai, death was clearly the promise written on it but like Shino he too was unstoppable as he chuckle at Sasuke's hatred.

"Or how Chouji's hand grabbed onto your thigh?" Shino smirked at Sasuke.

That was the last straw…Naruto was getting infuriated on how the way Sai and Shino was dragging the names of their departed friends on this malicious banter. Enough is enough. "What the hell do you mean assholes?"

"Oh you didn't know? Touches are deadly Na-ru-to-kun." Naruto felt something in him boil with hatred at how Sai said his name like that.

Touches…what the hell did they mean about touches…

"Hmm…I think I better get going." Shino stood up and made a beeline towards the door. Naruto was also up in a flash to stop the bug man from walking away. "Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"To become a hero." With that he slammed the door leaving Naruto in puzzlement while the other two occupants had sinister smirks on their faces.

RULER RULER RULER RULER RULER

Neji frowned at Shikamaru as the silent genius took a right turn. "Why are you going there?"

"Why?"

"What do you mean why?"

"You know that I won't get killed or is there any threat to my life?"

Neji frowned. "Fine, do what you like."

"Troublesome."

Neji watched Shikamaru's fading back and when he was no longer in of sight he too took a turn towards another direction, a direction that's also far away from where their companions were supposedly waiting. A dark aura was shrouding him as he walk towards a dark hallway, hiding his smile and the evil glint from his eyes.

RULER RULER RULER RULER

Anesthesia…sleeping pills…barbiturates…drugs that need yellow prescription…

Shino smirked as he fingered the vials carefully. He reads the label of each and every drug he sees, tucking the small information inside his brain though he knew that it would be useless now since he was on the point of no return.

He was inside the lion's den.

He knew he was going to be eaten alive.

Somehow, that excited him even more.

A sharp pointed object was suddenly laid near his neck, one false move and he knew his carotid artery would be number one aim of his assailant. He snickered at that, give it to the killer to know how to kill a person in an instant.

A genius.

He wanted to congratulate himself for finding such a genius friend and soon to be killer.

Ah. It was such a nice thought to be killed of by someone you trust.

He smiled at that thought.

"What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Of course it is."

Shino smirked widen. 'Yes, of course it is.'

If only Naruto knew how twisted his so-called close friend really is. He would be crushed, that's for sure.

The blade pressed more on his skin; Shino felt the sting from the scalpel's sharp edge as it cuts slightly on his skin. He flinched a bit.

"Good boy. Don't move while I slice you up, okay Shino?" A hot breath grazed the other side of Shino's neck while the other side felt the coldness of the sharp edge of the metal. He smiled at knowing that it was time…time for him to get killed.

"He's not dumb you know…"

"Shut up!" He smiled as his assailant suddenly started shaking…it was a first…to see…to feel…the genius to shake life a leaf in anger…to loose control…

"He's gonna be devastated to know that it was you all along."

"I said SHUT UP!!!"

RULER RULER RULER

Shikamaru tried to calm himself and tried not to fry his nerves too much in agitation as he waited for someone to emerge from the dark. He calculatedly placed his glass of water on the counter…strategically placed so that his assailant's reflection could be seen on the glass.

A minute or two passed and he could feel himself losing his nerves. He tried calming himself but to no luck.

He felt some sweat started to trickle down his forehead. He wanted to wipe it off but he knew one single wrong miscalculated move on his part and it would be the end of him.

A small muffled creaking sound caught his attention.

Finally, the mouse is moving for his prey. Creeping to him…slowly…soundlessly as possible…

Though with the deafening silence that surrounds the room, even the tiniest sound echoed loudly to his trained ears. So, he waited for his assailant to pounce…

He was ready…

RULER RULER RULER

"Dobe, stop pacing around and around."

Naruto glared at Sasuke who was sitting calmly at the bed while reading something…Naruto could only make up a word or two…_Secobarbital_…or was it Secobarbiedoll but in a more sophisticated way…or maybe it was Latin…or Hebrew…

Naruto frowned a bit as Sasuke nonchalantly read from page to page, unmindful that their two friends were almost gone for almost two hours.

Two fucking hours!!!

And the bastard was just sitting there reading god knows what!

In two hours, anything could happen…anything…

"Sasuke." The raven frowned a bit as Naruto whined his name like that. He looked up from his book to the now pouting blond. He hated it when the dobe pouted. More so, he hated what the blond was pouting about.

"Sasuke."

"Dobe, if you really want to look for them. Be my guest, just don't end up getting massacred and raped in a secluded room in my house." Sasuke gritted his teeth and went back to his reading. A hand shot up and grabbed the papers. He growled a bit and was about to say something when suddenly he felt himself collided on the bed, his right cheeks aching like hell.

The dobe just hit him.

Fast and hard.

His eyes blazed with fury as he glared at Naruto. Naruto's eyes too were blazing with loath at the raven. He clasped and unclasped his hand just to calm himself a bit so as not to hurt his best friend for the second time.

Sasuke was shocked that Naruto hurt him.

Him…his best friend.

For what?

For Shikamaru and Neji?

Are they more important to Naruto than him?

Is this what this is all about?

Sasuke felt something in him boil; he felt his hands itching to kill the source of his outrage. Naruto on the other hand tried to calm himself up by counting 1-100….backwards.

The blond gave a loud puff of air and turned his back from the raven and made a quick jog towards the door not even telling the raven where he was going. He was too mad at Sasuke to say a thing. He had better calm down more to be able to have a decent conversation with the so-called genius. He grabbed the doorknob and swung it open and went out.

A loud thud echoed through out the room as Sasuke was left inside infuriated tremendously. He wanted to hurt someone. He wanted to kill someone.

He wanted to kill…

On the other side of the door, Naruto rested his back as he slumped down. He wanted to cry, he wanted to shout, he wanted to tear Sasuke's throat to pieces…he wanted to let Kyuubi loose.

He shook his head at that thought as a part of him shook with rage.

Kyuubi.

He wanted out, but Naruto knew that he couldn't let that happen…not again…he couldn't lose any friends and family again.

…but Sasuke's words hurt like a knife…slicing through his heart…

Raped.

The fucking bastard suggested that he could get raped like it was no big deal…like Naruto didn't even experienced it before…like it wasn't the reason Kyuubi was born…

Stop.

Stop.

Stop.

'Please don't emerge again, Kyuubi.'

Deep inside the recesses of Naruto's mind he could see people shouting and screaming for help, deafening fire alarms, people's hopeless faces…

Three people dead and burned.

Three people shot in the head while sleeping…

…And an entire village caught in a wild fire, burning house to house…burning whatever it touches…

…it was like hell…

Cries of children, wails of women, angry voices of enraged fire fighters…

…amidst all that he could see himself…the younger him…

No…

…it wasn't him…

Kyuubi. It was Kyuubi.

Kyuubi was standing there watching with glint in his eyes…a smirk spread on his lips as the fire burned the last morsel of evidence that it was him who committed the crime…

For the third time in his life, Naruto cried.

RULER RULER RULER

Forty-five minutes and fifty-three seconds had passed and Naruto still couldn't find anyone, not even the killer.

He shook his head at that thought.

He turned again in a corner and cursed when the light did not turn on when he switched it. Turning around he went towards the other direction, but before he could walk away, he smelled something that made looked over his shoulder.

"Sasuke?"

No one answered him. He shook his head and went away to look for his friends. He turned left towards a dimmed lighted hallway…the light flickered a bit making him shivered every now and then, making him look over his shoulder from time to time whenever a creaking sound was heard.

Paranoia.

Another creaking sound of foot made him jump up a bit in fright. He scolded himself for being such a nervous wreck. It was just his brain tricking him…frightening him…

A cool breezed slightly touched his hand, he freaked out letting a small squeaked from his lips. He rubbed his hands to take away the sensation it felt a minute ago…he couldn't take it…his mind is conjuring too much hallucination…too frightening thoughts…

Another cold breeze was blown this time he turned his head towards the source…a slightly opened window at the end of the hallway, he walked towards it to shut it closed but another stronger breeze gets in…this time it gave a slightly foul odor.

He jogged towards it…the smell kept getting stronger…stronger and stronger…

Blood.

It was blood.

Upon reaching the end of the hallway he turned towards his right, a door. He grabbed onto the handle and tried to open it but it was lock for some reason. He panicked a bit when he couldn't open it. He prayed hard that it wasn't Neji or Shikamaru.

He tried to search for something to unlock it but neither sharp object nor pointed objects were in sight. He gritted his teeth as he thinks of where the key would be.

Think.

Think.

The kitchen.

Naruto ran towards the other end of the hallway and turned left towards the big staircase going down the main hall downstairs. He ran towards the opened door towards the kitchen when the scene that surprised him almost shook his whole being.

There inside he saw the killer choking Shikamaru with a rope as the genius was grabbing the rope away from his neck. Naruto like a bolt of lightning ran towards the two and grabbed the killer from behind. With strength, that he hadn't even knew he had, he flung the killer away from his friend.

Because of too much shock from being pounced on by someone from behind the killer let his hand lose its gripping from the rope letting his prey get loose. This sudden moment of lost of concentration by the killer was used by the famous detective to escaped from being choke.

Shikamaru looked over his shoulder to check what had happened to the killer when he saw Naruto standing from where he was positioned a minute ago and to his far right he saw someone in black cloak with a porcelain mask.

Fox…a porcelain fox mask.

Shikamaru coughed a bit as he still felt the sensation of the rope on his neck. He tried to rub the sensation away when suddenly the killer leaped up and grabbed on to Naruto, this time scalpel in hand was pointed to the blonde's neck.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? If isn't our lovely Naruto…"

Naruto felt his blood goes down from his head, but he couldn't afford to faint…not now…He could feel himself having a labored breathing as he felt the scalpel near his throat. One false move and he could be cut. He scolded himself to be still and think of ways how to escape from his assailant.

A cold smooth thing was press on his cheeks, the porcelain mask. "Did you come to save your most precious friend Naruto?" Naruto flinched a bit as the other hand of his assailant clawed down to his waist in fury.

"Did you come to rescue him? Is he really that important?" Naruto shivered a bit as the killer hissed. A low growl snapped the two and made them remember that Shikamaru was still there. Naruto made an eye towards Shikamaru to flee but the lazy genius paid no heed.

"I am what you want right? So unhand Naruto." Shikamaru coughed out still feeling the strained of being choke by rope a moment ago. He glared at the masked man and walked slowly towards the two. Calculating every step, he made so as not to push the killer to hurt his most precious person.

"Aww…how touching." The killer coos sarcastically. "Is he the most important person in your life Naruto? Is he?" The killer hissed. "More than me?"

Shikamaru knew it was time to attack, he knew that the killer was no longer looking at him, was no longer paying attention to him. With a dash he grabbed on to his hand and twisted it loosening its grip from the scalpel. This lapse of focus from the assailant was used by Naruto to elbow the killer from behind making the hand around his waist loosened and in no time, Naruto was able to twist his way out from the death grip.

Shikamaru seeing Naruto was almost free from the hold of the killer twisted the killer's hand more with his left hand and when Naruto elbowed the killer and was finally able to get free he took the liberty of punching the bastard face, mask still on.

A loud crack echoed and some fallen pieces of the mask dropped from the floor. The killer kneed Shikamaru on the groin making the detective flinched in pain. Naruto seeing the killer was not yet finished he pounced on him but the killer was much more skilled, much faster, in a flash the killer dived towards the fallen scalpel and slashed him on the chest.

Only the blond quick reflexes saved him from having a deep cut. He quickly jumped away but as he was recovering from the sudden action he didn't saw that the killer suddenly threw the scalpel at him cutting him on his arm.

Shikamaru still in pain scuffle towards the blond to check if he was okay. At this moment, the killer made a dash out of the kitchen towards the darker part of the house, successfully hiding himself from the two.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes. Only a cut on my arm and scratch on my chest." Naruto flinched as the pain shot up from him after the initial impact. Shikamaru, still limping, tried to help the blond up. He took the blond towards the sink to wash the cut. Seeing the cut was not deep enough to damage some nerves or even veins the two sigh in relief.

"Come on. Let's get back to the room."

Naruto nodded and walked out of the kitchen Shikamaru in tow, limping a bit. They went up and went towards the room they had been previously occupying. Naruto hurriedly opened it hoping that the killer hadn't got to Sasuke yet but only to be surprised by an empty room.

"Sasuke?"

Naruto dashed inside the room checking the whole area for the missing raven, Shikamaru in tow, frowning. "Sasuke?"

"Troublesome." Shikamaru muttered as he fell towards the bed, the strain of previous activities finally taking its toll. He gave a loud sigh of relief.

A snort snapped him from almost falling asleep. He slightly opened his eye and look towards the door. There on the doorway was Sasuke.

Naruto run towards the raven, forgetting his pain and frowned at the raven rumpled appearance. Shikamaru frowned a bit and felt some suspicion rose inside him at how the raven looked.

"What happened to you?"

"Doesn't matter dobe." Sasuke glared at Naruto, eyes still blazing with fury especially now that the dobe did seek for their lost companions. Naruto flinched a bit at how sharp Sasuke's tone was.

"Shino's dead." Sasuke proclaimed monotonously.

Naruto almost felt his knees gave way but Sasuke grabbed onto his arm, the hurt arm. Naruto flinched at the sudden jolt of pain. "That hurts!"

"You deserve that dobe." With that, Sasuke dragged Naruto out of the room, while Shikamaru scamper to follow the two. He growled a bit how harsh the raven was at the blond.

Naruto frowned a bit when Sasuke dragged him to a dark hallway, it was the same hallway he was previously went but the lights were no good so he took another path. Sasuke switched on the lights and behold the lights went on.

Naruto frowned a bit. He swear it wasn't working a when he was here. Without any explanation Sasuke once again dragged him towards a room.

Inside when the lights went on, there on the floor was a bloody body of Shino. Sasuke unhanded Naruto and went towards the bed to sit on as though there wasn't any corpse beside him on the floor.

Naruto walked slowly towards the body. He could see that Shino's shirt was slightly raised to show the slashes on his waist. Blood was almost pooling from his body soaking his clothes and the carpet.

Naruto felt his whole body shaking as he look around looking for the infamous message of blood. He glanced at Sasuke and without even saying anything the raven pointed towards the dresser top. Pictures and pictures in frame where scattered there and above it all there was a blood dripping…

A message…

"Your touch is vile…tainting what is mine."

Naruto felt himself feeling nauseated.

Touch.

Touch.

Touch.

"What are you doing Sasuke? Don't give me a lame comeback that _you do not know what I am talking about_. Let's drop the twisted mind game and tell me what the hell you are doing." Shikamaru glared at the smirking raven.

"Just enlightening the investigation. Isn't that what you should be doing?" Was Sasuke's comeback, which infuriated the detective more. "Hmm…troublesome…you do know that most suspects inject themselves into the investigation." Shikamaru murmured though not soft enough that Sasuke couldn't hear. Sasuke smirked got wider.

Shikamaru shook his head, already gave up on understanding Sasuke's mind game. He focused his attention instead on the paling blond.

"Naruto, you don't look so good. I think you better sleep for a bit. I'll give you one of my meds." Shikamaru walked towards the blond but frowned when Naruto suddenly shrugged his touch from his shoulder. "Leave me alone."

"What?!"

"I said leave me alone!"

Shikamaru grabbed Naruto's shoulder and made him turned around but as the blond faced him a punched went towards his stomach making him dropped to his knees in pain. "I said leave me alone."

Shikamaru frowned at the hysterical blond but before he could make a move the blond bolted out of the room leaving the two of them.

RULER RULER RULER

Naruto felt himself throwing up all the food that was left inside his body as memories of bodies of his friends assaulted his mind.

Touch.

Touch.

Touch.

He covered his face with his hand, trying to block out the taunting word and pictures of the dead bodies.

Touch.

Touch.

Touch.

Chouji was gluttony. Kiba was pride. Gaara was wrath.

…but Shino…was he mistaken when he distributed the sins…

…no he was right…

…there was a flaw….

…it's not the seven sins…

He shook his head and stared at the mirror.

…he never cried…

…he was fucking calm even when his friends are dropping like flies one by one…

…like he didn't care…

…like it was normal occurrence…

…now it made sense…

"I am the killer."

**:TSUZUKI:**

**Killer:** tic tac tic tac…time is up…the time is sealed time to do the deal…kill…kill…is what I must do…kill…kill them all.

**Late-Sleeper:** nah, not really…

**Killer:** huh?

**Late-Sleeper:** Someone guessed it right so, as you promised you'd release someone.

**Killer:** Oh man, you're such a mood killer…I was actually itching to kill all of them.

**Late-Sleeper:** Sorry deal is a deal

**Sasuke:** Oi! _–pokes Late-sleeper-_

**Late-Sleeper:** What?! _–glares-_

**Sasuke:** Why do I sound like I'm the killer here? _–glares-_

**Late-Sleeper:** You aren't? _–wonders-_ Really? Damn it! I was betting on you…now I need to bet on someone else… _-goes to betting station-_

**Killer:** _-sweat drops-_


	9. End of Sin

**Who's the Killer**

**By: Late-Sleeper**

**Beta-reader: ****Pay Backs a Bitch**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own a thing…

* * *

**Chapter 8: End of Sin**

* * *

Naruto looked at himself at the mirror. He wanted to scream or throw something at the mirror…he didn't like what he saw on his reflection…he did not like who he had become.

He thought he already buried that memory behind…he thought he had Kyuubi in control…

He fucking even became a novelist specializing in crime and mystery so that he could have a channel for his inner demon.

There on his novel, Kyuubi was free to kill, free to plot massacre, free to make any twisted thoughts…

But this was real…the killings were real…

Kyuubi had emerged.

A loud scream escaped from his lips as he punched the mirror not minding the pain the broken mirror cut through his fist. His eyes were blazing with fury…eyes turning to a dark red hue.

Blood trickled down his fist and a sharp pain jolted him from his trance. He looked down on his hand and was sadden by how blood now covered his fist.

He loose control. Again.

A tear rolled from his eye as he silently cried inside. His body slumped from the floor. He wanted to die now. He wanted to end it all.

Out of nowhere he had a sudden urge to look at his right and like on automatic his head turned and he was shocked to see the wall with the bloody written message. Curious he stood up and inspected the written words…this was the first he was actually inspecting the message written in blood coz the first time he saw it was just for a few seconds.

It was the message when Chouji was first attacked.

Chouji…

He never actually saw Chouji's body after he was killed. Maybe it was time he visited his friend…his victim…at least to say sorry.

He slowly dragged himself towards the door and went out. He trekked down towards the room were Chouji was supposed to be confined. He gave a loud sigh as he reached for the knob of the door and opened it. The room was well lit; it was actually clean for a crime scene.

He walked towards the bed where a big lump was in sight.

Down, lying on the bed Naruto saw Chouji's serene calm face; if he hadn't known he was dead he would think that the fat man was just sleeping. He looked peaceful.

Naruto grazed his eyes on Chouji's body, saved from the scratches on his thigh, Chouji's body was not that desecrated. Somehow, in the back of his mind, he wondered how Chouji died. He never asked Shikamaru or the others how he died. He just assumed the worst possible way, but now seeing the injury his friend received he couldn't really tell how he died.

He couldn't die due to blood loss, the laceration and bruises from his thigh couldn't killed him that fast…Chouji could still scream for help.

Naruto frowned at that thought. The new information greatly intrigued him.

He made up his mind; he wanted to see Kiba's body.

With that Naruto dash out of the house to where they had parked the cars. He remembered that Kiba was found near his car. He made a beeline towards his car and sure thing the corpse of Kiba was lying beside it.

He walked towards it no longer minding that it was a dead body, his friend's dead body. He inspected Kiba's appearance. The dog boy did not look like he fought. There were no sign of struggle only a cut on the wrist…both wrists…

The possibility of blood loss was high…but not in a matter of minutes…Kiba and Chouji's dead was very peculiar…something was different…

…though one thing was sure, the lacerations are where they had touched him…

Shino was saying it. Sai was telling him touches were deadly…but why him? Is he right? Was it Kyuubi's doing?

Gaara. He needed to see Gaara's body.

He ran towards the house and went towards the room where they've seen Gaara. Naruto felt shivers run down his spine but shrugged it off. He needed to know. He needed to find out.

He opened the door and Gaara's body was the first thing he saw. For a moment, he thought Gaara's eyes were open and was staring straight at him. For a second he wanted to run and hide, forget about everything, but he needed to do it, for his friends, for him, for his peace of mind.

He slowly walked towards the corpse and tried hard to look at it. He shivered a bit when his mind conjures the thought that it was moving. He stared at Gaara's hand, his arm, the bruises…he knew those bruises…he knew them…

He caused them…

His mouth gaped in sudden realization. It was all coming back to him now. He fought Gaara…but he couldn't remember killing him…

His eyes traveled from Gaara's arm to his face…just as the other said it was almost scratched off but it was the hanging that caused his death. He circled around the body when he noticed a blood soaking the rope slightly from the nape area. At the back, Gaara's nape was also cut, multiple times.

He shivered at the memory at how Gaara touched his nape in the kitchen when the redhead suddenly went on him from behind, frightening him like hell.

Only he and Gaara knew those touches…

He shook his head…

No someone was watching him at that time…he felt eyes on him.

Shino…maybe Shino's body had clues.

He hurriedly walked away from the body of Gaara, thankful that he could be out of the room, away from Gaara's presence or at least what was left of Gaara's presence. On the doorway he could feel eyes burning on his back.

Gaara's.

He shook his head.

Gaara's dead. Though the lingering touches Gaara's hands made on him, burned like fire…he couldn't rubbed it off, he couldn't take the feeling off…Gaara's touches… caresses were imbedded inside his mind…

He shivered at that thought.

He hurriedly went towards the room where Shino died.

Upon reaching the hallway, Naruto eyes traveled on the switch. Curious, he walk towards it and smelled it.

He frowned when he realized that he was right, he couldn't believe it but his senses wouldn't lie. Shaking his head Naruto walked towards the room where Shino's body lies. The door was open so the first thing that revealed to him was the blood pooling from Shino's body.

He frowned at that.

Shino must have done something that really irritated the killer…or _him_.

Naruto walked towards the body and looked down on it. Multiple lacerations, stab wounds on the stomach, bruises were seen on Shino's waist and some part of his body. He stared at Shino's face.

…and the face stared back at him.

A fear run down his body as the eyes of the murdered victim stared back at him…and in just a flicker of a second he actually thought the face smirked at him…taunting him.

Naruto shook his head…he couldn't force himself to check at Shino's body. He can't. The eyes felt like it were staring at him.

Naruto tried to shake the feelings away and turned his attention around the room, trying to look around just to take his eyes off the body…off those piercing eyes.

The room, except for the bloodied body of Shino, was immaculately clean. The person who's rooming inside must be an OC.

Neji.

Naruto frowned and went towards the dresser to look at the pictures, mindful not to look above where the message was written in blood. He took a picture frame and look at it. The picture was he and Neji. He smiled at how the young Neji tried hard not to smile and be a pompous stoic bastard that he portrayed to be but failed.

Naruto look at another one, and another one, and another.

He frowned; all the pictures are just him and Neji.

…and a single picture of _him_, alone smiling at the camera.

Naruto frowned more. Why would someone put a picture of just him on a frame?

Still frowning…Naruto looked around for more pictures but something caught his eyes.

Vials…

Drugs…

He already had seen those drugs before…

Curious, Naruto took one and examined the label his eyes grew huge when he saw the name.

The same words a while ago. _Secobarbital_.

It can't be.

It can't be.

Naruto without even thinking run out of the room, feeling suffocated on the air and his new found knowledge. He needed to find Neji before another killing could take place.

Scurrying away Naruto tripped on a slippery substance. He fell down, chest colliding with the floor, he tried to stand up, and he pushed himself up by his hands planted on the floor but failed as his hands slipped once again by the slippery substance.

The blond groaned in pain as his face collided on the floor; he cursed his luck and tried to rub the sore on his nose away by his right hand but was assaulted by distinctive smell of blood.

His eyes went wild and he stared at his hand. Blood.

In fright, adrenaline in use, the blond stood up hurriedly. Panicked was written allover his face at the thought of being covered by someone else blood. He searched for the source of it, following the pool of blood his eyes had fallen on a closed door.

He walked towards it and prayed to all deity hoping it's not who he thinks it is. He involuntarily gulped, feeling something was obstructing his throat…he couldn't breath, the air is suffocating him…the anticipation was killing him.

He reached for the knob and turned it, he felt his breath was caught in his throat as the door opened. He looked inside…

…when something caught his eyes…

…his jaw dropped slightly as a loud gasped escaped his lips…

There on a chair was the bloodied body of someone, a raven man.

Sai.

Naruto tried to calm himself before he approached the body. Upon seeing Sai in a close distance Naruto almost wished he hadn't approached it. On closer inspection, Naruto realized that Sai was tied on the chair; his hands and chest were adorned with heavy slashes…slashes which were the same as the previous killings…

There were also hand prints on Sai's neck; the killer might have strangled the raven to death.

Naruto eyes trailed on Sai's face and cringed as the face stared back at him grinning…Sai was actually grinning when he died. He must have been mocking the killer.

Naruto almost averted his gaze immediately but something caught his eyes, he looked closely at Sai's mouth, the pooling of blood inside it. Odd.

Naruto summoning enough courage looked more closely, his face mere inches from the corpse face, and somehow he felt Sai's breath on his cheeks…

He shook his head to clear it up.

Sai is dead.

He frowned at how imaginative his mind could be. He turned again his attention on Sai's lips…the blood pooling from inside his mouth. Naruto gulped once again as he gently raised his hand towards Sai's chin.

Gently he opened the cadaver's mouth by lowering Sai's chin a bit.

He almost lost his control when he saw Sai's tongue…or at least what was left of it. Hurriedly he took away his hands like it was on fire. The killer must have been angry at Sai to kill him like this…the killer was getting more and more sadistic then ever before…

Although feeling the cold creeping through his being Naruto continued to inspect Sai's whole body.

A cut tongue.

Slashes and laceration on his hands, arms and chest.

A stab on his right thigh.

A laceration on his neck.

Another stab at the back.

Yes, definitely the killer was mad at him for something.

But something was missing. He inspected the body once again, looking for that particular thing but he got none.

Odd.

The smell of blood once more assaulted his senses and he almost gag at the foul smell. Thinking that the stench would suffocate him, Naruto decided to get away from the crime scene, fast.

As he scrammed out of the room, he thanked the cool breeze that cleared the stench clouding his nose. He took a deep breath as he tried to clear his mind. Another killing took place.

Another was dead.

So it means only he, Sasuke, Shikamaru and Neji were still alive.

He frowned at that thought. Something on the back of his brain is thumping loudly. Something important that he forgot….but what?

Shit!

He shook his head again to clear it up but Sai's face and Gaara's eyes were flashing on his mind, taunting, mocking, smirking, and pulling him to insanity.

He thumped the back of his head on the wall where he was leaning on and made a loud sigh. Guilt was really creeping up on him as he remember Gaara's angry face when he was hitting him…he wondered if Sai had the same reaction when he did that to him…that's it he really was the killer.

Shit!

How could he kill all those people?

How could he hurt those he value as family?

A slumped down on the ground as he thought about his dead comrades; tears were already building up in his eyes…

He could not let another killing take place…the three most important people to him were the only people left…he couldn't bare to see them hurt…

He couldn't hurt them…

He remembered Shikamaru's paling face as the killer choked him to death…he couldn't let that happ…

Wait.

He was there. He was there when Shikamaru was attacked. He was fucking there!!! The killer even attacked him.

So that means.

"Oh shit!"

Naruto gaped; his eyes grew huge like a saucer in sudden realization of his idiocy. He banged his head on the wall this time hard enough to really cause some physical pain to himself as punishment for being an utterly idiot.

Damn! How could he not think that before!!! He was fucking there and even saved Shikamaru from being killed…good thing he was looking for something that's why he went down to the kitchen to get a key or anything to unlock the…

"Oh fuck!" Naruto cursed himself once more for being an idiot. He hurriedly sprinted down the kitchen to look for something to unlock the mystery door he wanted to open before he saw Shikamaru.

He felt an adrenaline rush as he scampered from cabinet to cabinet looking for the master key or anything that could open the room. Frowning, he rattled his brain to remember where Sasuke hid the master key.

He remembered Sasuke saying something about a jar.

'The cookie jar!' Upon remembering and praying that he was indeed right Naruto dashed toward the jar on top of the counter and lifted the lid off. He gave a triumphant grin as his eyes fell on the shiny keys inside it. Heh, bingo.

Feeling good about himself Naruto ran towards the second floor and turn towards the wing where the mystery room was located.

Though upon reaching it, his nerves gave way. He had a gut feeling who is inside the room…and that made him want to shout out and cry.

Shaking his fear he tried to insert one of the keys on the keyhole and like the Lady of Luck was on his side the door opened

Upon realizing the he had opened the door, fear once again crept up his body. The ominous feeling enveloped his whole body. With shaky fingers he tried to push the door open, and open it did and the scene that welcomed him almost took his breath away.

There on the wall Neji was hanging with a large chuck of wood piercing his left chest, the doctor's heart is clearly the one being aimed for. Naruto's hand instinctively flew towards his agape lips and he felt something obstructing his throat. He can't breathe. He felt his mouth gone dry. His knees felt like jelly…and he wanted to die.

Like on automatic his shaky feet carried him towards his friend's body, his eyes roamed Neji's bloodied corpse, still couldn't believe what he was seeing.

He raised a shaky hand towards Neji's cheek and gently caressed it, not even minding the blood that's not staining his hands. Tears started rolling from his eyes as he strokes the already cold skin of Neji's face.

"Why?" He asked to no one in particular. He don't get why the killing took place…why is the killer taking everything he valued and loved.

Naruto rested his forehead on Neji's forehead as he cried silently for his departed friend when his hand touched something sticking on Neji's body.

A syringe.

Naruto looked around and for the first time he realized that vials were scattered all over the place. Curious he walked towards a pile of vials, tablets and pills; he took one and read it.

His eyes gone wild as he read the labeled.

It can't be!

It can't be!

"Sasuke!"

**

* * *

**

:TSUZUKI:

**Late-Sleeper:** _-reads review-_ Ran Mouri…Ran Mouri?! _-huggles Ran Mouri-_ yay! I miss you. _-scratches head-_ ehehehe sorry I haven't updated my gravitation fic I told you about hehehe

**Killer:** Oi! Get on with the story.

**Late-Sleeper:** oh yeah…the next chapter is the last one.

**Killer:** _-rubs hands-_ good

**Late-Sleeper:** I was actually thinking of a rape scene…but I guess it's not as popular as I thought it would be so I'm flushing that idea out

**Sasuke:** WHAT?! Why?!

**Late-Sleeper:** because many readers don't like rape.

**Sasuke:** No they like rape! They adore lemon! They want it!

**Late-Sleeper:** No they don't! Beside the killer would be doing it…that is unless you're the killer… _-frowns-_ are you?


	10. Final Confession

**Who's the Killer**

**By: Late-Sleeper**

**Beta-reader: ****Pay Backs a Bitch**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own a thing…

Chapter 9: Final confession

* * *

Naruto ran as fast as he could, he opened every door he could put his hands on. Time was ticking fast.

He opened another door but saw no one, not even a dead body. He ran again towards the next door, the next, and the next. He was fucking out of his wits, as each door he opened showed neither a clue nor sign of Sasuke.

God, he wouldn't forgive himself if something happened.

A loud thud broke his reverie and in an instant he dash toward the sound. He frowned when he realized that the sound came from a room he swore he never would enter again, too many bad memories resided inside that room.

Involuntarily he gulped for air as he touched the door leading to Itachi's room.

The door opened with a loud eerie squeak like those of an old door from a horror movie, which only fueled his anxiety. He tried to force himself to enter the room, his every step echoing throughout the entire room due to the stillness of it.

He eyed the bed carefully and made a calculated stride towards it. He scrutinized the well-made bed for a minute or two when suddenly he felt a looming presence behind him. He doesn't need to look up who it was because he already suspected as much.

"Where's Sasuke?" Naruto heard his own voice croaked. That only gained him a loud sigh and a muttered 'troublesome'.

"I said where is Sasuke, _**Shikamaru**_?!" he repeated again.

* * *

END…or at least in this site…

* * *

**Sasuke:** You had them good…they really thought I was the killer… _-smirking-_

**Late_Sleeper:** nope…I'm not that good…it just that they don't trust you that much so they thought you're the killer. I too believed it. Damn, now I lost ten bucks on the bet…damn…

**Sasuke:** Bloody hell?! _–chokes the author-_

**Shikamaru:** …troublesome…-reads the script- so to all the avid…-_snorts-_ fans of this fic the rest of the fic is in some other site since it might taint innocent minds here and i'm just follwing the rules…so, yeah go read it there, somewhere, you know where it is, right?


End file.
